Crop Report September 2, 2008

Saskatchewan farmers have 20 per cent of the 2008 crop harvested, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture's weekly crop report.

This is an increase of 10 per cent from last week, but still behind the five-year (2003-2007) average of 35 per cent. Provincially, harvest is furthest advanced in the southwest with 36 per cent of the crop harvested, and least advanced in the northwest where six per cent of the crop has been taken off.

Thirteen per cent of the durum crop has been harvested and nine per cent of the canola crop is off. With 10 per cent of the spring wheat crop harvested, crop reporters estimate that 70 per cent will grade No. 1 Canada Western (CW) and 23 per cent will grade No. 2 CW. The 10-year crop report average is 46 per cent 1 CW and 23 per cent 2 CW.

Sixty-one per cent of the 2008 lentil crop is off, as is 73 per cent of the pea crop. The fall rye crop is 89 per cent harvested and the winter wheat crop is 78 per cent harvested. Almost half of the triticale crop is harvested.

Insects and wind caused the majority of the crop damage this past week. Reporters also expressed concerns about flooding, ergot, bleaching, staining, and lodging. Southern areas received rainfall of up to 50 mm on Sunday, August 31 and Monday, September 1.   

Pasture conditions deteriorated from the end of July when 58 per cent were in good to excellent condition. The current rating is 45 per cent of pastures in good to excellent condition. The poorest pasture conditions are located on the western side of the province.

Fifteen per cent of reporters rate livestock water supplies as inadequate, up from 11 per cent at the end of July. Some farmers, located primarily in southern Saskatchewan, are hauling water for their animals.

South eastern Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 1, 2, & 3ase)

Weather in the southeast varied between hot, cool, dry, and wet over the past week, with some strong winds.  An average of 2 mm of precipitation was reported, with the average high of 5 mm in CD 2b.  Wind damage was reported throughout the region, including lodging, scattering of swaths, and shelling of ripe grain.  Heat and drought stress was reported in the Windthorst area, where standing barley crops were breaking off in the wind.  Farmers also expressed concern about bleaching, piebald kernels, and second growth.  Crops in the swath are deteriorating on a daily basis.

Several reports of canola crop damage due to wind were received from the Weyburn area, with losses ranging from10% to 25% of the canola crop was lost in the wind.

Thirty per cent of the 2008 south eastern crop has been harvested and a further 31% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  The harvest of fall crops is 90% complete.  South eastern peas are 82% harvested while lentils are 76% off.

With 17% of the spring wheat harvested, crop reporters estimated that 71% will fall into the top grade.

Topsoil moisture conditions were slightly drier this past week.  Eighty-two per cent of the crop land is rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 85% last week.  Seventy-seven per cent of the hay and pasture land is rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared to 88% last week.

Insect damage came from grasshoppers (Oxbow, Kisbey, Kennedy, Midale, Pangman, Weyburn, Montmartre, Indian Head, Minton, Ceylon), sawflies (Moose Jaw, Marquis, Minton, Ceylon), and aphids (Indian Head).  Some farmers are spraying for grasshoppers.  Flea beetles are moving into the Tantallon area.  Ergot in durum was reported in the Weyburn and Radville areas.  Some samples will have significantly reduced grades.  Birds damaged crops in the Odessa area.

Sixty per cent of the pasture conditions in the southeast are reported as good to excellent, similar to 58% in late July.

Eighty-four per cent of the area has adequate livestock water supplies, down from 89% in late July.

Seeding of fall crops has begun in the Oxbow and Kisbey areas.

Baling of hay is nearing completion.  Some farmers are hauling bales.  Some farmers are also spraying pre-harvest herbicides to kill weeds and speed dry-down of uneven crops.

South western Saskatchewan
(CDs 3asw, 3an, 3b, & 4)

The southwest was hot at the beginning of this past week and turned cold and wet by the weekend.  An average of 3 mm of precipitation was reported, with an average high of 8 mm reported in CD 3bn.  The rain caused crop damage, including bleaching, in the Rush Lake, Stewart Valley, Success, and Lucky Lake areas.  Lentils in the Rush Lake area dropped from a #1 grade to a #3 grade.  Winds were very damaging in some parts of the region.  In the Glentworth area, one farmer had 15 to 20 bu./acre shelled out of a canola crop covering 640 acres.  Crop damage from drought was reported in the Rockglen and Consul areas.

The beginning of the new week (August 31) saw rain in many areas of the southwest - some reporters indicated they had up to 50 mm.  The rainfall amounts beginning with August 31 will show up in next week's Crop Report.

Thirty-six per cent of the 2008 south western crop has been harvested and a further 22% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  Winter wheat and fall rye are over 80% harvested.  Peas are over 90% harvested and lentils are over 55% harvested.

With 22% of the spring wheat harvested, crop reporters estimate that 89% will fall into the top grade.

Topsoil moisture conditions improved with 45% of the crop land rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 34% last week.  Forty-two per cent of the hay and pasture land is rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared to 37% last week.

Insect damage came from sawflies and grasshoppers.  In the Weyburn area, grasshoppers were eating the bolls off the flax.  Some farmers were spraying.  In the Viceroy area, farmers were finding it challenging to swath ahead of the sawflies.  Wildlife damaged crops in the Webb area.

Pasture conditions have deteriorated in the southwest.  In late July, 56% of the pastures were in good to excellent condition; this month, 29% received the same rating.

Almost one-third of the southwest is facing inadequate livestock water supplies, up slightly from 29% reported in late July.

Seeding of fall crops has begun in the Maple Creek area.

East central Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 5 & 6a)

The east central region had warm days, cool nights, and some damp weather.  An average of 5 mm of precipitation was reported during the past week, with an average high of 7 mm reported in CD 6a.  Wind damage was reported in the Abernethy, Bethune, Holdfast, Craik, Leroy, and Humboldt areas.  The Abernethy and Leroy areas saw breakage of cereal stems in the wind.  The Bethune areas saw canola and mustard swaths being scattered and shelled out.  Farmers also reported concerns with bleaching, staining, and lodging.  Excessive moisture in the Kelvington, Leroy, Jansen, Humboldt, Calder, Foam Lake, Quill Lake, and Kamsack areas is delaying harvesting and reducing crop quality.  Durum crops in the Holdfast area are suffering from sprouting and mildew.  There was light frost in the Leroy area on the 24^th and on the 29^th, with the minimum temperature just below 0 degrees C.

Twelve per cent of the 2008 east central crop has been harvested and a further 38% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  Eighty-nine per cent of the fall rye and 78% of the winter wheat is off, as is 57% of the peas and 55% of the lentils.

Second growth in some crops is delaying harvesting.

With just 4% of the spring wheat harvested, crop reporters estimated 60% will fall into the top grade.

Topsoil moisture conditions are similar to last week with 80% of the crop land and 69% of the hay and pasture land rated as having adequate topsoil moisture.

Grasshoppers caused damage in the Bethune area.  Sawflies caused crop damage in the Earl Grey, Holdfast, Craik, and Imperial areas.  Bertha armyworms caused crop damage in the Leroy and Humboldt areas.  Wildlife caused crop damage in the Goodeve area.

Pasture conditions have deteriorated in the last month.  At the end of July, 80% of east central pastures were rated as good to excellent - at the end of August, only 46% are given that rating.  Ninety-six per cent of the area has adequate livestock water supplies.

More wild hay is being made in the Goodeve area as the sloughs are drying out.  Crops were being desiccated at the beginning of the week.  Some winter wheat was being seeded in the Holdfast area and some fall rye was planted in the Bradwell area.

West central Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 6b & 7)  

The west central region was warm at the beginning of the week, and then turned cooler, with some showers.  An average of 14 mm of precipitation was reported across the region, with the highest average amount being 15 mm reported in CD 6b.  Wind caused crop damage in the Hanley, Conquest, Major, and Denzil areas.  Hail caused about 10% damage in the Arelee area.  Rain caused crop damage in the Conquest and Rosetown areas.  There was some frost in the Unity area.  Farmers also expressed concerns about lodging, staining, and bleaching.

Areas affected by the previous week's hailstorm in the Rosetown area have damage as high as 100%.

Fourteen per cent of the 2008 west central crop has been harvested and a further 31% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  The fall rye harvest is over 90% complete, with winter wheat at 63% combined.  Peas are two-thirds done and lentils are 56% combined.

With 3% of the spring wheat harvested, crop reporters estimate that 83% will fall into the top grade.

Second growth that is not ripening is hindering harvest, and more swathing than usual is being done in some areas.

Crop land topsoil moisture conditions are similar to last week, with 68% rated as having adequate topsoil moisture.  Two-thirds of the hay and pasture land is rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared to less than half last week.

Insect damage came from grasshoppers (Hanley), diamondback moth larvae (Herschel, Scott), and sawflies (Denzil, Battleford), while wheat midge damage continued to show up in wheat crops.  Geese caused crop damage in the Rosthern area.

Just over one-third of the pastures are rated in good to excellent condition, compared to just over half at the end of July.

Ninety-two per cent of the area has adequate livestock water supplies.

Fall rye was being seeded in the Grandora area.  Other activities include desiccating, hauling bales, and summerfallowing.

North eastern Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 8 & 9ae)

The north eastern region started off warm last week, then turned cool.  An average of 11 mm of precipitation was reported during the past week, with an average high of 20 mm reported in CD 9ae.  Wind damage was reported in the Humboldt and Paddockwood areas.  Drought damage was reported in the Tisdale and Melfort areas.  Hail damage was reported in the Paddockwood area, with some fields 50% to 100% wiped out.  Trees are also laying all over from the big storm at the beginning of the week.  Frost patches on buildings were reported in the Hoey area.  The Codette area found frost damage from the previous week.  Lodging of crops was also a concern.

Thirteen per cent of the 2008 north eastern crop has been harvested and a further 44% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  Winter wheat is 88% off, as is 81% of the fall rye.  Sixty per cent of the peas are off and so are 24% of the lentils.  Grain is being dried.

With 12% of the spring wheat combined, reporters estimated that 78% would fall into the top grade.

There is second growth in some cereal crops.  Barley is being downgraded from the cold, wet weather in the Bruno area.

Topsoil moisture conditions improved this past week.  Eighty-three per cent of the crop land was rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 74% last week.  Conditions on hay and pasture land also improved with 73% rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, compared with 64% the previous week.

Grasshoppers caused crop damage in the Codette area.        

Fifty-three per cent of the pastures are rated in good to excellent condition.  In late July, 58% had that rating.

Ninety-nine per cent of the region has adequate livestock water supplies.

Haying is finishing up.  Some winter wheat has been seeded in the Humboldt area.

North western Saskatchewan
(Crop Districts 9aw & 9b)

The north western region saw cooling temperatures during the past week.  An average of 17 mm of precipitation was reported, with an average high of 22 mm reported in CD 9aw.  Crop damage from wind was reported in the Leask, Shellbrook, Debden, North Battleford, and Rapid View areas.  Frost was reported in the Glaslyn, Turtleford, and Pierceland areas.  Frost damage estimates in the Glaslyn area range from 3% to 5%.  There could be some frost damage in the Hafford area.  The light frost in the Meadow Lake area is not expected to do much, if any, crop damage.  In Pierceland, the temperatures dipped to -3C and -5C.  Hail damaged crops in the Shellbrook area.

Six per cent of the 2008 north western crop has been harvested and a further 29% is lying in the swath or is ready to be straight-combined.  Winter wheat is 79% done and fall rye is 57% done.  Fifty-two per cent of the peas are done.  Combined crops need to be dried.

With 4% of the spring wheat combined, reporters estimated that 39% will fall into the top grade.

Fall rye seeding is underway in the North Battleford area.  Haying operations are winding down.

Topsoil moisture conditions improved from last week, with 81% of the crop land and 73% of the hay and pasture land reported as having adequate topsoil.  This compares with 75% and 64% respectively last week.

Grasshoppers damaged crops in the North Battleford area.  Geese damaged crops in the Pierceland area.

In late July, 46% of the pastures were rated in good to excellent condition.  In late August, 50% received that rating.  Ninety-three per cent of the region has adequate livestock water availability.

For further information contact:
Terry Bedard, P.Ag.
Agricultural Economist
Policy Branch
Ministry of Agriculture
306-787-5956